Rebecca Bakels

Rebecca Bakels

Software Engineer & Tech Community Builder

Creating thoughtful web experiences and helping grow the South Florida tech community, one connection at a time.

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About Me

I’m a software engineer who’s just as passionate about building community as I am about building great products. Based in South Florida, I love creating tech that’s thoughtful and inclusive - and finding every opportunity to bring people together through it.

Developer Advocate

  • Technical Writing & Documentation
  • Public Speaking & Presentations
  • Workshop & Tutorial Creation
  • Content Strategy & Development

Software Engineer

  • React & JavaScript Development
  • Frontend Architecture & Design
  • Performance Optimization
  • Testing & Quality Assurance
  • Version Control & CI/CD

Community Builder

  • Event Organization & Management
  • Mentorship & Leadership
  • Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives
  • Workshop Facilitation
  • Volunteer Coordination

Events

From local meetups to national conferences, this is where I show up, speak up, and help bring people together. Here are some highlights from events I've been part of. Want to collaborate on something? Let's connect.

CITY Tech Day

June 2024 Watch the Recap

Organized a one-day internal tech conference bringing together all our tech teams to share updates, align on goals, and connect across departments. Coordinated a global livestream for remote teams and hosted live Q&As with leadership to keep things transparent and engaging.

Rebecca interviewing man on stage camera is focused on her face smiling Room full of tech professionals watching Rebecca speak on stage Rebecca interviewing man on stage in chairs comfortably

South Florida Tech Hub Hackathon

Annual Event Watch the Recap

Co-organized and led a 24-hour hackathon focused on building real tech solutions for local nonprofits. Brought together developers of all experience levels to collaborate, learn new skills, and work on projects that made a difference in the community. It was fast-paced, meaningful, and all about using tech for good.

Huge group picture with about 150 people cheering Rebecca with microphone raised talking to a crowd not pictured Group of seven engineers talking in a circle discussing a project

DevDive: Software Developers Workshop

Monthly Meetup

Chair, Tech Hub DevDives Peer Group - Founded and lead a hands-on software developer meetup focused on collaborative learning, experimentation, and peer mentorship; fostered a supportive environment that encourages making mistakes, sharing knowledge, and diving into new technologies together.

Group of 40 tech professionals standing together smiling Point of view from a table of engineers watching Rebecca speak Lines of tables with 40 developers with laptops open watching presenter not pictured

Speaking Engagements

I speak on everything from breaking into tech to building web experiences and growing inclusive communities. Here are some of the talks I’ve given - and the stories I’ve shared along the way.

Journey into to Tech & Lessons Learned

SoFlo DevCon

From sales manager to software engineer at CITY Tech, all without prior coding experience. I share the challenges, lessons learned, and tips for making your own career leap.

Waterbeds to Wayfair Competitor

Next.js Conf

Spoke about how Vercel and Next.js are enabling a family-owned business, CITY Furniture, to compete with global brands like Wayfair.

Community Involvement

Community has played a huge role in my tech journey, and I’m passionate about giving back. Here’s a look at some of the communities and initiatives I’ve been lucky to be part of.

South Florida Tech Hub

Building South Florida's tech community and connecting local tech professionals.

Code/Art

Non-profit focused on encouraging girls to get into coding.

Path to College

Organization that helps underprivileged students prepare for college.